Card sorting device



April 26, 1966 o. J. G. GARFIELD CARD SORTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. OLIVER 1.6. 642M210 4 TTOE/VE).

o. J. G. GARFIELD 3,247,854

CARD SORTING DEVICE April 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. 7 04/1 54 J6. 64fiF/L-Z0 3,247,854 CARD SQRTING DEVICE Oliver J. G. Garfield, 490 West End Ave, New York 24, N.Y. Filed Oct. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 229,088 6 Claims. (Cl. 129--16.1)

This invention relates to card sorting devices, and more particularly, to a device for separating selected edgenotched cards from a card pack having separator rods extending through marginal holes and notches of the cards.

Machines for accomplishing this function are well known in the prior art. The cards are generally provided along their edges with holes and notches, the latter extending out to the very edge of the card. Each classification of the cards corresponds to a particular pattern of notches. Cards of a desired classification are selected by passing separator rods through the holes and notches of the cards and the pack is then vibrated. Those cards which do not have a separator rod extending through a hole thereof, but instead have notches receiving each of the rods, are vibrated loose from the pack and are permitted to become disengaged from the rod by virtue of the notches. The remainder of the cards having at lea-st one hole penetrated by a selector rod are retained in the pack, thereby separating the desired edge notched cards from the remainder of the pack.

The sorting machines of the prior art performed the function of supporting and vibrating the card pack to shake loose the selected edge notched cards. However, these prior machines were relatively complicated and expensive, and some of these machines suffered the further disadvantage of requiring manual manipulation by the operator to complete the actual card separation process.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device for separating selected edge-notched cards without requiring the complicated and expensive structure heretofore required in the card sorting machines of the prior art.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, the device comprises a frame having four vertical walls. Two of the walls have lower. edges adapted to rest upon a desk top or other plane surfiace, and the other two walls have horizontal spaced parallel upper edges for supporting the opposite ends of the separator rods which rest thereon with the card pack depending downwardly between the walls. The separator rods with the card pack depending therefrom may be quickly and easily lowered by hand onto said wall upper edges, and may be as easily removed therefrom after the separating operation has been completed.

Vibration of the card pack to shake out the selected cards is accomplished preferably by a pair of electric motors secured to the frame at spaced points thereon. Each of the motors has a rotating shaft and a weight eccentrically mounted to the shaft so as to cause vibration. The motors are preferably of the type not synchronized to the line frequency and hence will inevitably rotate at slightly different angular velocities. It has been discovered that by so locating the pair of motors, and by having the motors run at different speeds, the vibration of the card pack is such as to most effectively and quickly shake out the selected cards.

The lower edges of the pair of walls which support the separator rods are located above the desk top or other plane supporting surface at a height greater than the length of the cards to be sorted. This permits the selected cards to drop down to the supporting surface and then fall flat thereupon so as to be completely free and clear of the remainder of the pack.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are either inherent in the structure disclosed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the detailed description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the card sorting device in accordance with the present invention, together with a pack of cards pierced by separator rods which are supported by the sorting device;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device on a reduced scale, similar to FIG. 2, but showing the card pack extending vertically with the separator rods piercing perforations along the side edges of the cards;

FIG. 4 is a partial end elevational view as seen from line 4-4 in FIG. 2 and shows the motor shaft and weight eccentrical-ly mounted thereon;

FIG. 5 shows a card of the type to be sorted by the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral 11 indicates generally a preferred embodiment of the card sorting device in accordance with the present invention. Device 11 comprises a frame 11a having two spaced parallel vertical walls 12, 13 having lower edges 14, 15 respectively adapted to rest upon a horizontal pad 16 composed of sponge rubber or similar resilient material. Pad 16 insulates the desk top or other plane supporting surface from the vibration of frame 11a.

A pair of U-shaped brackets 17, 17a are mounted to wall 12 in vertically aligned relation and another pair of U-shaped brackets 18, 18a are similarly mounted to wall 13. Each of brackets 17, 17a consists of a horizontally extending intermediate'web portion 19 formed integral with a pair of leg portions 21, 23 extending perpendicular to web portion19. Each bracket 18, 18a is similarly formed of a web portion 20 formed integral with leg portions 22, 24. Web portions 19, 211 are secured to walls 12, 13 respectively by screws 25 and nuts 26.

Secured by screws 27 and nuts 28 to bracket leg portions 21, 22 is 'another vertical wall 29 extending perpendicularly to walls 12, 13 and across the space therebetween. Similarly secured to bracket leg portions 23,

24 is another vertical'wall 30 extending parallel to wall 29 and spaced forwardly therefrom.

A first electric motor 31 is secured by bolts 33 and nuts 34 to wall 12 adjacent the forward edge 12a and the upper edge 12b of the latter. A second electric motor 32 is similarly secured to wall 13 adjacent the rearward edge 13a and lower edge 15 of the latter Wall. Motors 31, 32 may be of any conventional construction and are disclosed herein for purposes of illustration as comprising an iron field circuit core 35 magnetized by a wire coil 36 having opposite ends 37 adapted to be connected to a line source of electrical energy through a suitable switch (not shown).

As best seen in FIG. 4, each of motors 31, 32 further comprises a shaft 38 to which is fixedly mounted an eccentric weight 39. The latter may be circular or of any desired shape, provided that its center of gravity is located eccentrically with respect to the axis of motor shaft 38. It will thus be seen that when motors 31, 32 are energized, shafts 38 will be rotated so that the eccentric mounting of weight 39 will cause motors 31, 32 to vibrate. These vibrations will then be transmitted through walls 12, 13 of frame 11a to walls 29, 30 thereof.

The card sorting operation of device 11 will now be described. Referring first to FIG. 5, there is shown a card C of the type to be sortedf Each of the cards C has provided along one or more of its marginal edges a row of perforations some of which are in the form of holes H and others of which are in the form of notches such as indicated at N1, N2, N3. It will be noted that the notches extend to the very edge of the card. One corner of card C is beveled at B so that cards C may be arranged in a pack with all of their faces in the same direction.

' In order to separate a particular classification from the pack P of cards, the operator first inserts a number of separator rods R1, R2, R3 through those marginal perforations in the cards which correspond to the desired classification. All those cards belonging to the selected classification will have notches associated with the separator rods whereas those cards excluded from the classification will have at least one hole pierced by one of the separator rods.

The operator then takes the card pack P with the desired separator rods extending through the marginal perforations thereof and lowers pack P downwardly into the space between walls 29, 30 until separator rods R1, R2, R3 rest upon the upper edges 29a, 30a of walls 29, 30 with pack P depending downwardly therefrom. Electric motors 31, 32 are then energized to vibrate frame 11a and thereby vibrate pack P to shake loose from the latter those edge notched cards having no rod through any hole thereof. Said edge notched cards will then drop downwardly onto rubber pad 16 so as to be free and clear of pack P which remains suspended from separator rods R1, R2, R3 resting upon the upper edges 29a, 30a of walls 29, 30.

Referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that even when pack P is suspended from a lateral edge so as to hang with its long side extending vertically, the lower edges 30b of walls 29, 36 are located at a height above rubber pad 16 greater than the length of card C to enable the latter to clear lower wall edges 30b and fail flat against rubber pad 16 after they have dropped from pack P.

It has been discovered that the utilization of two electric motors mounted at spaced points on frame 11a as described above provides a faster and more ffective separation of the selected cards than can be obtained by a single motor of double the power and cost of a singe motor. It is believed that this is due to a superposition of the vibration components of both motors, which components combine to form a resultant vibration having frequencies and amplitudes not present when one motor is used alone. Furthermore, motors 31, 32 are preferably of the type not synchronized to the line frequency so that they will inevitably rotate at somewhat different speeds. This factor also provides a resultant vibration having more frequency components than available from a single motor and thereby results in faster and more effective separation of cards C.

There is thus provided a card sorting device which is simple and economical to manufacture, and which enables the card pack P to be quickly and easily mounted upon or removed therefrom. The device of the present invention is further advantageous in that the selected cards are separated entirely from the remainder of the pack without requiring any further manual manipulation by the operator and avoiding the possibility that one or more of the selected cards may accidentally adhere to the pack when the operator removes the latter from the device.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may take in practice without departing from the scope thereof as delineated in the appended claims, and that the claims are to be construed as broadly as permitted by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A card sorting device for separating selected cards from a card pack having cards each formed with a plurality of upper edge notches and a plurality of openings near the upper edge thereof, the notches and openings of each card aligning with notches or openings of all the other cards, said device comprising a frame having a pair of horizontal spaced,-parallel, coplanar supporting means, means to interconnect said supporting means, a plurality of separator rods resting on said supporting means and traversing the space between said supporting means and adapted to pass through a plurality of sets of aligned holes and notches in said cards, respectively, so that said pack of cards depends from said rods, and between said parallel supporting means, and means for vibrating said frame to shake loose from the pack, said vibrating means comprising a vibrator on each supporting means, said vibrators being in vertical and horizontal offset relation with respect to each other, selected cards through which all the rods pass through edge notches only, so that said selected cards will drop down, leaving the remainder of the cards of said pack suspended from said 'rods, said supporting means comprising straight longitudinally extending horizontal supports on top of which said rods are free to move lengthwise of said supporting means in directions at right angles to said rods, at each of the places where said rods contact and rest on said supports, said rods being free to rotate axially and said supports being arranged to permit said rods to be moved up away from said supports and down onto said supports.

2. A card sorting device as defined in claim 1 and further including a pad of resilient material extending horizontally between said planar. supporting surface and said frame for insulating said planar supporting surface from the vibrations of said frame.

3. A card sorting device for separating selected cards from a card pack comprising cards, each formed with a plurality of upper edge notches and a plurality of holes near the upper edge thereof, the notches and holes of each card aligning with the notches or holes of all the other cards, said device comprising a frame adapted to rest upon a planar supporting surface, said frame comprising spaced parallel upright supports, a pair of spaced parallel walls connected at their ends to said supports adjacent the uppermost portion of said supports, a plurality of rods resting on the upper edges of and traversing the space between said walls and adapted to support said pack of cards between said walls, and said rods being adapted to pass through a plurality of sets of aligned holes and notches in said cards, respectively, so that said pack of cards depends from said rods, and means for vibrating said frame to shake loose from the pack, selected cards through which all the rods pass through edge notches only, so that said selected cards will drop down leaving the remainder of the cards of said pack suspended from said rods, said vibrating means comprising an electric mot-or secured to each of said upright supports, said motors being in vertical and horizontal offset relation with respect to each other, each motor having a rotary shaft with an eccentrically mounted weight thereon to impose vibrations through said supports and walls to said plurality of rods, said walls having straight longitudinally extending upper horizontal edges on top of which said rods are free to move lengthwise of said edges, said rods being free to rotate about their axes, and said rods being free to move upward away from said horizontal edges.

4. The combination of claim 3, in which each of said motors rotates at a different velocity.

5. The combination of claim 4, in combination with a pack of said cards suspended from said rods, the lower ends of said walls being spaced above the lower ends of said upright supports by a height greater than the height of said cards, from top to bottom, so that cards dropped from said rods may fall clear of said walls upon said planar surface.

6. The combination of claim 5, and further including a pad of resilient material extending horizontally between said planar supporting surface and the lower ends of said face from the vibrations of said frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1928 Hallett 129-16.1 '2/1930 Adams et a1 12916.1

6 2,524,918 10/1950 McKeown 129-16.1 2,587,682 3/1952 Bard 129-161 2,665,694 1/1954 Mooers et a1. 12916.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 741,951 12/1955 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARD SORTING DEVICE FOR SEPARATING SELECTED CARDS FROM A CARD PACK HAVING CARDS EACH FORMED WITH A PULRALITY OF UPPER EDGE NOTCHES AND A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS NEAR THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF, THE NOTCHES AND OPENINGS OF EACH CARD ALIGNING WITH NOTCHES OR OPENINGS OF ALL THE OTHER CARDS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL SPACED, PARALLEL, COPLANAR SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS TO INTERCONNECT SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF SEPARATOR RODS RESTING ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND TRAVERSING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SETS OF ALIGNED HOLES AND NOTCHES IN SAID CARDS, RESPECTIVELY, SO THAT SAID PACK OF CARDS DEPENDS FROM SAID RODS, AND BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID FRAME TO SHAKE LOOSE FROM THE PACK, SAID VIBRATING MEANS COMPRISING A VIBRATOR ON EACH SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID VIBRATORS BEING IN VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL OFFSET RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SELECTED CARDS THROUGH WHICH ALL THE RODS PASS THROUGH EDGE NOTCHES ONLY, SO THAT SAID SELECTED CARDS WILL DROP DOWN, LEAVING THE REMAINDER OF THE CARDS OF SAID PACK SUSPENDED FROM SAID RODS, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING STRAIGHT LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING HORIZONTAL SUPPORTS ON TOP OF WHICH SAID RODS ARE FREE TO MOVE LENGTHWISE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS IN DIRECTIONS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID RODS, AT EACH OF THE PLACES WHERE SAID RODS CONTACT AND REST ON SAID SUPPORTS, SAID RODS BEING FREE TO ROTATE AXIALLY AND SAID SUPPORTS BEING ARRANGED TO PERMIT SAID RODS TO BE MOVED UP AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORTS AND DOWN ONTO SAID SUPPORTS. 